


Providence

by ChocolateTeapots



Category: Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Implied Relationships, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-29
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:08:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26708743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateTeapots/pseuds/ChocolateTeapots
Summary: Tifa and Jessie discuss roads not yet travelled.
Relationships: Biggs/Jessie, Tifa Lockhart/Cloud Strife
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Providence

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gumiii_writes](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gumiii_writes/gifts).



> Because friends help friends revitalize tags :)

“Wow, he can really yell. I mean, I knew he had volume, but the  _ stamina _ is just downright impressive.”

Tifa chuckles and wrings out her dish cloth. Yes, it’s a little earlier than she’d usually be closing Seventh Heaven, but no way are any of the locals going to come in given the racket. Granted, to the Sector 7 residents, Barret’s famous temper is more a subject of amusement than something to be scared of, but that didn’t mean anyone really wanted to risk getting caught in the crossfire.

“You should have more faith in him,” Tifa replies, grabbing the tray of dry mugs and placing them back on the shelf one by one with brisk, efficient movements. “Remember the time Wedge’s cats got loose in the base? I could almost see the steam coming out of his ears by the end!”

“Yeah, but it’s a lot funnier when it’s aimed at someone else,” Jessie pouts into her mug.

Tifa raised an eyebrow. “I don’t see you jumping in to rescue Biggs.”

They turned their attention amusedly back to the guys, tuning back in just long enough to hear Barret holler “I don’t care how many skirts she was wearing!” and Biggs' slightly more measured, if exasperated, “That doesn’t even make any sense!” Biggs has positioned the table defensively between the two of them and Barret doesn’t look like he’s taken a breath for his entire tirade.

Should she be yelling at Jessie? It certainly feels like Barret’s leaving that side of the equation to Tifa, with his undivided attention on Biggs despite Jessie being at least as responsible for the rant in question. It takes two to tango, after all, and Tifa’s pretty sure she knows who’s been orchestrating Biggs and Jessie’s frequent intimate rendezvouses.

Tifa sighs, and Jessie turns back to her. She can’t really blame Jessie; things are really heating up with Avalanche, and she can understand that making her friend want to heat things up in other ways. She fiddles with the gloves a little before meeting Jessie’s eyes and saying, “As your friend, I feel like I need to add my two gil.”

“Do you really, though?” Jessie asks, folding her hands under her chin and batting her eyes, the very picture of innocence.

Tifa leans forward to push her with a laugh, rolling her eyes when Jessie dramatically half falls off her bar stool. “I really do.” She leans on the counter and waits for Jessie to right herself. More seriously, she continues, “Really, though. You should just tell him how you feel.” Her eyes flick pointedly over to Biggs before returning to Jessie. “With everything that’s going on, who knows when something could happen. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late.”

Jessie turns her gaze to the ceiling before turning back to Tifa with eyes full of mischief. “Even if I don’t, who knows? He might just walk into my bar again, years later.”

Tifa’s face burns and she can see Jessie trying not to snicker at her. Behind them, Barret continues shouting, and why, oh why can’t he yell something ridiculous, or go suddenly silent, or do something to distract Jessie away from her laser focus on Tifa? “I wouldn’t count on something like that.”

“So, you’re saying you should take the opportunity when it presents itself, right?”

“That’s right, I am,” Tifa sighs. 

“And speaking of opportunities...” Tifa grabs a dish cloth and a spray bottle and holds them out to Jessie. “If you’re going to be taking ‘opportunities’ in my bar, I’m going to be taking the opportunity to ask you to clean up after yourself. We need that pinball machine and you’ll excuse me for not wanting to touch it.”

Jessie takes the cleaning supplies with a whine and trudges towards the bright lights of the pinball machine like it’s a firing squad.

Tifa leans on her shining countertop, observing her friends. Barret and Biggs gesture wildly as Barret chases Biggs between the tables. Jessie swipes the rag against the glass of the pinball machine in broad strokes, an exaggerated pout on her lips. She can picture their missing members so easily too, how Wedge would be dutifully working on something at their usual table, face schooled in exaggerated concentration to avoid getting pulled to one side or the other of the shouting match. And their last member… Tifa just savors the warm feeling making its home in her chest, smiling to herself.


End file.
